Thank You @jenniferhunter
I had C4-C6 fusion and I decided to go from Miami to HSS in NY. For one the Miami surgeon was going to use cadaver bone whereas at HSS my surgeon used a titanium basket and used my own bone graft. I only wore the neck brace for a couple of weeks and I never felt much pain.

I am 73 and fusion is fine as I’m not living a very active life like sports etc. I’m looking for my son who is 50 and if there is an alternative to fusion that may be more suitable to him as he is young.

The two-level disc replacement is to preserve motion with two moving mechanical devices. Over a long period with fusion, other discs have to accommodate for the motion lost at the fused level. Secondly, over time, the increased mechanical demand on the surrounding vertebrae can make the discs in the region more vulnerable to additional degeneration.

When I contacted a patient advocate at Johns Hopkins, they forwarded my questions to the assistant to the Neurosurgeon I referred. It was easy to get all the information I needed like the manufacturers of the device etc. At Mayo all they have is an appointment desk and there is no patient advocate to help the patients to get basic information before making the appointment. Even when I contacted the neurosurgery department with great difficulty – the answer was “We don’t give out that information”. It is a simple basic question as to what devices they use as I can get myself more knowledgeable as there are many devices in the market. If it was HIPPA protected I would not have gotten that information from Johns Hopkins.

MAYO seems less friendly toward prospective patients. Patients should be able to get device information and which neurosurgeons perform disc replacement during their initial phase of research without having to take an appointment.

It is very important to be able to get the necessary information with ease when you choose an institution. My prior experience at Johns Hopkins was great. This time being in Florida and Florida insurance I wanted to go to MAYO as it may be equally as good as Johns Hopkins. Jennifer, as you said sometimes we may have to travel and go elsewhere like Baltimore, Maryland even though I would have preferred MAYO in Jacksonville, FL.
Thank You
@mjmember

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